Techniques currently used to achieve successful uplink communications between a cellular base station and a communication device that is actively communicating with the cellular base station typically adjust the power levels and the coding and modulation of the signal transmitted to the mobile communication device on a dynamic basis to achieve at least a selected quality of service using the lowest power. When a communication device is near a cell edge, this often results in the use of a high transmit power. The information may be voice or data or streaming media (sound or video), but the information is broken up into segments of maximum length according to the protocol being used. The dynamic selection of power and coding and modulation techniques is typically performed so that the selection is constant during the transmission of a segment, and may be constant for several or many segments. In some situations, a transmission being made at the edge of the cell at a high power level causes interference with communications that are active between the base station of a neighboring cellular base station and a communication device that is active in the neighboring cell.
Certain current standards of the WiMAX series identified as IEEE 802.16 define a repetition feature in which data is repeated within a transmission by replicating the data symbols using sub-channels, but they make no statement as to when such repetition feature is to be used.
Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the FIGS. are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help to improve understanding of embodiments of the present invention.
The apparatus and method components have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.